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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 250 Specific Forum

Lowering/Raising Mast on Wing Keel

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Al
Captain

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USA
269 Posts

Initially Posted - 07/01/2003 : 00:50:33

I want to lower the mast on my '03 WK (in the slip), install some things on the masthead, then raise the mast again. My dealer says I should let somebody else do it. I've raised/lowered the mast on my Hobie 16 a hundred times without a problem (well, there was that one time I forgot to put the pin in...).

Anyway, my question is, is this something that a competent person (but lacking experience with the 250 mast) could handle using the winch (possibly), a couple of helpers, and a procedure from one of you folks?

Al Maniccia
SeaWolf C250WK #698
Marina Del Rey, CA

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Oscar
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2030 Posts

Response Posted - 07/01/2003 : 02:53:01

Al, I've not seen it done the way you suggest.....I don't recommend lowering the mast without a contraption of some sort for assistance in controlling the forces at play.

It's possible that four or five or six guys could catch the thing the moment you lose control over it winching it down, but they could end up falling over each other, and then end up with the pole on top of them..... That's if the pole doesn't end up over the side after ripping the bracket out of the deck, because the shrouds loosen as you come down and will not keep it on centerline. (take a moment to picture these scenes...)

Here's my suggestions:

1: Find an older WB owner, (The boat, not the owner <img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>) Check out the gin-pole setup, and have a similar setup fabricated. It's not very complicated (read $$). The advantage of this approach is that you would have it for future use.

2 Find a WK owner with a trailer with the mast raising/lovering rig....use his trailer to pull yours out of the water and lower the mast. You'll have to improvise the temporary baby shrouds to keep the mast on centerline.

3 Let the yard do it.

4 Use a bosuns chair to go up and do the work. There's an extensive discussion about that somewhere on this forum.

I'm sure there will be others chiming in on this one.....

Oscar
<img src="http://www.woodenshoemusic.com/Images/familypics/LKforumshot.jpg" border=0>
Lady Kay 250 WB #618
In the driveway in Behtlehem, PA ready to go anytime.

Edited by - Oscar on 07/01/2003 02:57:54

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Arlyn Stewart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2980 Posts

Response Posted - 07/01/2003 : 07:44:10

Al, Oscars about got the bases covered. I'll add a couple of thoughts.

The gin pole on the older C250's used a hole in the mast thats not there now, so borrowing is not an option. A hole in the mast is not the only way to secure a gin pole to the mast however, so one could be fabricated... but thats more effort than needed unless you feel this will be something thats done fairly often. If a gin pole seems to be in the cards for you... I can assist with thoughts on it.

Lowering with manpower is not hard with four men... One would handle the forestay, two would control the mast from the cabin top, and one would be in the cockpit to assist with the mast the last couple of few feet into the crutch... all this assuming your laying it aft using the mast raising baby stays for lateral support and you have a mast crutch for the stern. One more person to deal with fouled lines etc. would be a good idea.

Arlyn C-250 W/B #224
<img src="http://www.stewartfam.net/arlyn/rr.jpg" border=0>
N/E Texas and Great Lakes

[url="http://www.cox-internet.com/arlynstewart/"]Arlyn's C250 Mods n Cruisin Stories[/url]

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Oscar
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2030 Posts

Response Posted - 07/01/2003 : 09:34:10

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>all this assuming your laying it aft using the mast raising baby stays for lateral support and you have a mast crutch for the stern. <hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>

Do all boats have the holes in the mast and the brackets on the stanchions? In that case Al could order the baby stays.

I have sucsessfully made a temporary mast rest with two 5 foot long 1x4's screwed together about a foot from one end in a lopsided X, with its feet wedged in the seat backs in the cockpit.....I used cedar, nice and soft on the gelcoat. (do you need a drawing?)

Oscar
<img src="http://www.woodenshoemusic.com/Images/familypics/LKforumshot.jpg" border=0>
Lady Kay 250 WB #618
In the driveway in Behtlehem, PA ready to go anytime.

Edited by - Oscar on 07/01/2003 09:35:12

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Bryan Beamer
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1038 Posts

Response Posted - 07/01/2003 : 12:02:31

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote> (well, there was that one time I forgot to put the pin in...).<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>

Been there.

We took down our mast at the slip recently. We used 5 people. 4 on the boat 1 on a line connected to the jib halyard running thru the center of a cleat mounted on the dock on the very end of a slip finger across from our boat. We put the mast crutch in like normal and used the temp mast raising shrouds. We had 1 person hold the furling drum so it would not scratch the deck the other 3 guided the mast down to the crutch the person on the line had all the weight and just eased it down. The last 5' before the crutch the 3 people on the boat had to take all the weight to get it into the crutch. The line with the mast at that angle looses it advantage.

Going back up is the same process 3 people lift until the line gets it advantage the 3 people push it up with a little more muscle than when taking it down the person holding the furler drum watches for any rigging fouls.

When raising, it is a good idea to use Arlyn’s T bolt protector. Look on his web site he has a picture of it. (Plastic wire ties have almost as many uses as a bungee cord.)

It is not hard to do with enough people you can do it very easily at the slip. This is the method that was used before all the mast-raising systems were around.

Bryan Beamer
<img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b3da35b3127cce961d8ff3fd0b0000001010" border=0>
Daylight Again
C250wk #495
2003 National Champion

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The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.